Quick detachable connector for interconnecting terminals



. J. BULLA 2,628,263

HABLE c N ECTOR FOR ING MINALS F eb. 10, 1953 J QUICK DETAC INTERCONNECT Filed Dec.

' JAMES J: BULLA ATT RNEY Patented Feb. 10, 1953 QUICK DETACHABLE CONNECTOR FOR INTERCONNECTING- TERMINALS James J. Bulla, Morristown, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N, 'Y., a corporation of New York Application December 24, 1948, Serial No. 673162 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electrical connectors,

more particularly to quick detachable conrectors for interconnecting terminals.

In the testing of the different sections of an electrical system, such as the component units a radar system, it is necessary to provide a plurality of connector leads from the testing an- Dnratus which may be easily and quickly connected to the electrical outlets of the units to be tested. I-Ieretofore, much time was wasted in connecting and disconnecting the leads from a test cable to the several conductors of a multistrand cable leading to or forming part of the several electrical circuits present in the units to be tested. By use of the present invention, all

of the electrical circuits of the radar units can be connected with, or disconnected from, the main test cable by the simple expedient of separating a connector strip. in addition, electi'ical trouble shooting is iacilitated inasmuch as the individual conductors, in not being soldared to the connector, may be easily and rapidly disconnected therefrom.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved connector for interconnecting a plurality of terminals from a test cable to permanently fixed terminals of an apparatus to be tested.

the above and other objects in view, the invention may be embodied in a device comprising a pair of separable and identical dielectric blocks. The top portion of each block [has formed thereon plurality of parallel ribs or fins ex tending transversely of the block. ,A single metallic contact member is molded in the block between each pair of a series of ribs and provides plural connections for securing thereon the terminals of a plurality of conductors. The blocks are held together by a pair of insulated lamping screws loosely held in one of the blocks and electrical contacts are provided between the two blocks by a plurality of resilient leaf spring contacts secured to the lower portion of the upper block. The upper half terminal block is portable and is connected to a cable from the test apparatus While the other block :is fixedly mounted to the apparatus under test.

A complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective opened view of the cooperating quick detachable connector blocks showing conductor terminals of the cables secured thereto.

(Cl. .173R328.)

Fi 2 is .a vertical Cross-sectional view of the connector in operative closed position and showin particular one of the insulated clamping screws for holding the blocks together;

Ri 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the connector operat ve closed p ition h win particular one of the resilient contact leaf springs; and

Fig.4: is a side elevational view of the resilient ontact leaf spring shown in its n n-c mpressed position- Aconneetor I l is shown in perspective in Fig. 1 and onsists of two molded dielect blocks I2 and 13 each of which is identical in structure. 'Iihe blocks 12 and L3 have formed on their upper .s ria es a plurality of ups n ing ri s or is which a e p rallel to on an her and extend transversely of he blocks. L a ed b tween e ch pair of ri s M a sin le figure-ei h chance! that contact metal member I5 is securely held in equally spaced holes l6 formed in the blocks 42 and I3 which holes extend through the blocks. The fiat metal member l5 has two depending internally threaded portions l1 and I8 which extend about halfway into the holes 16 in th blocks. A resilient metal contact leaf spring 1,9 is secured to the bottom or underside of the block 12 by an upstanding internally threaded metal insert 25) riveted to the spring which insert into hole 16 (Fig. ,3). A round head machine screw 2] secures the insert 2.0 in the hole 1:5 by ensaema the internal threads of the insert. internal diameter of the threaded portion 1;! is larger than the diameter of the screw 2| and as a result of this tolerance the spring I9 held i htly against the block 12. A look washer 22- (Fig.- 3) placed under the head of the screw 21, prevents the latter from turning once is tightened.

one end of each spring l9 has an upturned edge 23 which overlaps the bottom forward edge of the block 1;? (Fig. .3) to properly position the spring and prevent it from longitudinal movement. The other end of spring I9 is zigzagshapeg :QFig. A) and contacts the metal member 45 the under block .43 wh n th two blocks are held toget er... on on t p of the other. In coming contact with the metal strap mom .ber 5. the depending edge .or lug 24 of the zigza -shaped part elf the sprin .9 in bl ck 12 Wipes rupe l'lli flfifi M 1: 3 member -15 in block 13. and th reby insures a positive electri con act between the two. The inter han eable contactsprina assemblies 5 are easily removed and replaced by removing screw 21 and pu in J the inserts from the apertures 55 in the block l2.

The lower block it (Figs. 2 and 3) may be permanently secured to a panel or a wall (Fig. l) of an electrical apparatus to be tested by four screws 26 which are located at the right and left ends of the block as viewed in Fig. l. A cable 21 of the apparatus under test is electrically connected to the block l3 by a plurality of flat terminals 28 which are crimped to the individual ends of a plurality of conductors 29 of the cable 2':'. These terminals 28 are held in electrical contact with the metal strips it: in the block 53 by the screws 2i. Since all of the conductors 2t extend transversely from the top of the block 1:

i3, rather than protrude from the underside, the block may be permanently mounted on any flat surface.

The portable connector block if is connected. to the testing apparatus by a cable 30 in the same manner as the cable 2'. is connected to block [3, and similarly the cable 38 consists of a plurality of conductors 31, each having flat connecting terminals 32 crimped thereto.

When it is desired to test an electrical apparatus connected through the cable 21 to the terminal block l3, the portable upper block i2 is placed on top of the lower block it and is fastened thereto by two insulated clamping screws 33, each of which have an intermediate small shank portion 35 of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the threaded portion l8 whereby the screw 33 is loosely retained in the block i2 when not in use. The lower threaded portions of the screws 33 engage the threads of the'depending portions ill of strap members i5 in the lower block l3. As the thumb screws 33 are tightened, the blocks i2 and it are gradually pulled closer together whereby the lowermost edges of the connector leaf springs l9 are forced to wipe over and make good contacts with the upper surface of the flat metal members it (Fig. 3.) Thus by placing the connector block 12 on top of the block l3 and tightening the clamping screws 33 a plurality of quickly made circuits are established through an electrical apparatus under test through cable 21, terminals 28, contact members iii in block I3, leaf springs i9, inserts 2? screws 2i (Fig. 3), contact members It in block i2, terminals 32 and cable 38 through the testing apparatus. In this manner, positive electrical contacts are assured between the connector blocks i2 and i3 and circuit tracing is facilitated by having detachable terminals 28 and 32 which may be removed simply by loosening the screws 2!. i

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangement is simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention and that numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within th spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a quick detachable electrical connector, pair of similar and interchangeable dielectric blocks, one of said blocks being stationary and the other portable, a plurality of contacts molded in each of said blocks, means associated with each contact for detachably fastening a conductor to the contact, a plurality of projecting barrier ribs formed in the top of each block and extending transversely thereof between each contact, a spring member secured to each contact on the underside of the portable block by an insert iii) attached to the member immediately below the contact, said spring members having a zigzagshaped portion with a lug formed thereon, and loosely held means in the portable block for clamping the blocks together whereby the lugs of the spring members are forced to wipe a portion of the molded contacts in the stationary block to electrically interconnect the contacts in the portable block with the corresponding contacts in the stationary block.

2. In a quick detachable connector for interconnecting a plurality of conductors, a pair of similar and interchangeable dielectric blocks having spaced apertures therethrough, each of said clocks having series of similar transverse sections, a metallic contact molded into each section and having an aperture etxending from the top to the bottom face thereof and in alignment with one of said apertures in a block, dielectric barrier ribs formed in the top of each of the blocks and extending transversely between said sections, means associated with each contact for detachably fastening a conductor to the contact, a proljecting spring member detachably secured to each contact on one of the blocks on the underside thereof by an insert fitting into one of the apertures in the said block, and means fitting within apertures in one of the blocks and passing through apertures in the other block to clamp the blocks together whereby the spring members electrically interconnect the corresponding contacts in the blocks.

3. In a quick detachable connector, a pair of similar and interchangeable dielectric blocks having spaced pairs of apertures therethrough, one of said blocks being stationary and the other portable, each of said blocks having a series of similar transverse sections, a metallic contact molded into each section and having a pair of apertures extending from the top to the bottom face thereof, dielectric barrier ribs formed in the top of each of the blocks and extending transversely thereof between each of the contacts to define and isolate said sections, means associated with each contact and fitting within one of said apertures in the block and passing through one of the apertures in said contact to detachably fasten a conductor to the contact, a projecting spring member detachably secured to each contact on the portable block on the underside thereof by an insert fitting within another aperture in the block, means passing through said insert and through the other aperture in the molded contact for electrically connecting the contact and said spring member, and means passing through apertures in the portable block and tting within apertures in the stationary block to clamp the blocks together whereby the spring members electrically interconnect the contacts in the portable block with the corresponding contacts in the stationary block.

4. In a quick detachable connector for interconnecting a plurality of conductors, a pair of similar dielectric blocks having spaced pairs of apertures therethrough, dielectric barrier ribs positioned on top of each of the blocks to form a plurality of transverse sections thereon, a metallic contact molded into each of said sections and having a pair of apertures extending therethrough in alignment with the one pair of apertures in said block, means fitting within the first aligned aperture for detachably fastening a conductor to each of the contacts, a projecting spring member detachably secured in each of said transverse sections to the underside of one of the blocks by an insert fitting within one of the apertures in said block, said spring member having 9, depending end portion at right angles to the body of the spring, means fitting within said insert and passing through the second aligned aperture for making an electrical connection between the contact and the spring member, and means positioned in one of the blocks for clamping the blocks together to force the depending end portions of said spring members to wipe a portion of the contacts in the other block to provide electrical connections between the blocks.

JAMES J. BULLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Currier Feb. 22, 1921 Alden Jan. 5, 1932 Bowers May 19, 1936 Dotterer Jan. 19, 1937 Beall Apr. 13, 1937 Blakeslee May 18, 1937 Lavarack et al. June 27, 1939 Douglas Mar. 26, 1940 Kimmich Aug. 6, 1940 Keefe Apr. 14, 1942 Heiss June 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia Jan. 11, 1943 Switzerland Apr. 30, 1934 

